If Scottish football was on life support then it finally died last week when Celtic, Rangers and Hearts all exited the Europa Cup on the same night. Hearts put up a credible fight in the second leg against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, but having lost 0-5 at home they were only playing for pride. Celtic lost to FC Sion (who I hear you say) and Rangers went out to Slovenian side Maribor. In the last 10 years both Celtic and Rangers have played in European Finals and made it through to the last 16 of the Champions League. The current state of the SPL means it will be a long time before either club, or any Scottish side for that matter, ever reach those heights again.

One aspect of the game where the Scots have done well is in the development of coaches and managers. Alex Ferguson is the leading example of what Scottish football has brought to the game in England. Fergie is a European Cup or two away from being the greatest manager of all time, but his pedigree in the EPL will never be questioned. He has built and rebuilt Man United so many times in his time in charge that this skill set has been overlooked. When Arsenal won the title in 2005 it was supposed to usher in a new era of North London domination. Since then United have won 4 titles, 3 League Cups and one Champions League. In Arsene we trust indeed!

Jurgen Klinsmann’s reign as US coach started well with a credible draw against Mexico in last month’s friendly. He and his team were brought back to earth with last night’s 0-1 loss at home to Costa Rica. The US played some excellent football in the first half and deserved to have had the game won and done by half-time. The American’s profligacy came back to haunt them when they were duly punished, ironically enough by Rodney Wallace, who grew up in Maryland and scored the winning goal. There were a lot of positives in the first half, but more negatives in the second. Herr Klinsmann has a job on his hands.

Thomas DiBenedetto, a Boston native finally completed his purchase of Italian club Roma last week. He joins the growing list of American investors who have purchased or bought into European soccer clubs. How long before we see a summer series involving all the clubs which have American owners? Expect to see Roma, Liverpool, Man United, Aston Villa and Arsenal in a city near you next summer.

MLS received some good news from the domestic media when it signed a deal with the league to show live coverage of games on NBC Sport Network. The league has come a long way in its 16 years and this deal is another sign that the league is a viable one.

At the end of the 2010-11 English Premier League season there was a sense that this year’s campaign would see six teams compete for the title and the four Champions League places on offer. That is no longer the case. Only two teams, Man United and Man City ’08 will fight it out for the title. Both laid down big markers of intent last weekend with emphatic wins against Arsenal and Spurs respectively. Chelsea ’03 might think they can remain in contention, but are a team that looks like an aging boxer who has gone one round too many. They will probably finish in the top four, but will be closer to Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal than the new big two.

Spurs were outplayed, outclassed and well beaten by Man City ’08 on Sunday and yet Harry Redknapp, not for the first time, survived without receiving any serious criticism. Harry used his media skill to deflect attention away from him and used the ongoing Luka Modric transfer saga as an excuse for Spurs’ woes. Please Harry, for once accept some responsibility. It was you who picked a team that was unbalanced and so open that your tactics bordered on the naïve. What made you think Modric and Kranjcar in midfield, two players who can’t tackle were going to overpower City’s? And what made you believe that playing Peter Crouch as a lone forward was going to cause City any problems?

Samir Nasri is an idiot if he thinks that fans of every club, other than Man City ’08, believe he joined Oil Money FC, because they are bigger than Arsenal. Samir, you joined City for the money, pure and simple. You may win something along the way, but at the end of the day you are just as greedy as everyone else that pulls on a blue shirt. Even this Spurs fan will admit that Arsenal are a bigger and better club than City.

However, I think Nasri was spot on when he said that Arsenal fans lacked passion. It wasn’t called ‘Highbury the Library’ for nothing.

There is life in the old Scottish patient yet. FIFA had warned FC Sion in the summer that some of the players the club had signed were done so in breach of international regulations. UEFA agreed with the ruling of their senior partner and kicked FC Sion out of the Europa Cup. Celtic were reinstated in the group stage in Sion’s place. The Glasgow club were awarded a 3-0 win for the home and away legs of their tie.

How in God’s name did John Wilson, the Hearts fan who assaulted Celtic manager Neil Lennon, walk from court with a ‘not proven’ verdict? The incident, when Wilson ran on to the field and attacked Lennon during last season’s game at Tynecastle, was shown on live television, was shown and re-shown on sports and news programs all around the world. Somehow Wilson walked free despite the evidence against him. Were the jury members all Rangers supporters?

Speaking of which. Rangers Football Club is proud of its Scottish heritage, its standing in Scottish society, its British heritage, its standing in British society and the Britishness (loyal, royal and proud) of the fans it represents. So why then would one of Queen Elizabeth II’s loyal businesses not pay the crown the taxes it is owed? H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y.

The WPS Final was played in Rochester last week. If anyone watched the game live on television can they please email me the score?